1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic car coupler of the type which includes a housing of welded metal plates carried on a car to be coupled, the housing carrying a hook therein which is actuated by a cam, and carries a keeper arm to urge the hook from the car to be coupled to into engagement and provides continued retention of the hook engagement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic car couplers for use on a railway vehicles are in common use on subway cars and other railway vehicles. Many of the couplings in use rely on an outer housing that is formed as a casting and then machined. Such housings are subject to failure due to inclusions, are very heavy and are quite costly to manufacture. The structure must be durable and positive in operation as well as simple, safe and easy to operate and service. Examples of such couplers are shown in the patents to Cope, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,181,708 and 3,405,811 and to Metzger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,809.
Cope in U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,708 shows structure for restricting the movement of a hook with a broken spring but this is effected by interlocking the hook with the uncoupling cam and thus differs in essential respects from the present invention.
In prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,084, there is shown an automatic car coupler which utilizes a welded outer housing and a simple hook structure with a double acting cam for hook disengagement. The hook is spring urged into a central engaged position. Problems occur if the spring urging the hook into engagement position becomes broken before coupling or after coupling. The hook can then move away from an engaged position and not couple or it can become uncoupled while in operation so that the cars can move apart.
The keeper of my invention urges a hook with broken spring into engagement position and retains it there as desired.